Latin American

Civic Participation

Campaign

The Experience of a

Community-based Initiative

Who are we?

A community-based initiative of 18

settlement agencies, community groups

and social organizations that work

together to promote civic and political

engagement of the Latin American

community in Toronto through public

education, community-based analysis

and organizing.

• Association of Spanish Speaking Seniors of the GTA-ASHTOR

• Barrio Nuevo

• Black Creek Community Health Centre

• Canadian Hispanic Congress

• Casa Maiz

• Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples

• CHHA 1610 AM ( Spanish-speaking community radio station)

• Hispanic Development Council

• I vote Toronto (2010)

• Jane and Finch Community and Family Centre

• Latin American Trade Unionists Coalition (LATUC)

• Mennonite New Life Centre Toronto

• MUJER

• Newcomer Advocacy Committee of the MNLCT

• North Park Presbyterian Church

• North York Community House

• Parkdale Community legal Services

• Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office

• Working Women Community Centre

The process

Latin Americans

Toronto &GTA

18 Campaign members

Mnlct, BCCHC,

HDC NPChurch

Newcomer Advocacy

Committee

Community at large

Building alliances

Closer allies,

facilitators

Community groups

- 2009 -

- 2010 -

Defining the actions

To promote

Latin

American

community

participation

in the civic

and political

life of

Toronto

Objective

Building a collective and

a unified advocacy

agenda to encourage

political representatives

to take action on issues

of concern to the Latin

American community

Goals

Promoting greater

understanding of the

electoral system and

greater electoral

participation by Latin

Americans

- Analysis and reports on

socio-economic and civic level

of inclusion of LA community

in Toronto

- Collective agenda of concerns

and public recommendations

for change

- Publics forums: community

meetings, roundtables, and all

candidates debates

Tactics

- Popular education process

(trainings and collective

reflections)

- Educational material

(brochures, training toolkits)

- Spanish media coverage of

the campaign and key topics

2010

SNAPSHOT on economic, social and

civic inclusion of the LA in

Toronto

Two WORKSHOPS in Spanish (40

each) on Canadian political

system, civic participation in

electoral processes.

BROCHURE and

WORKSHOP MATERIALS in

Spanish outlining how to vote in the

municipal elections.

MEDIA COVERAGE of the campaign

First time MAYORAL

DEBATE with Latin American

community (questions created in community

forums)

2011

ANALYZE THE CONTEXT of 2011 Federal elections

(workshops, discussion groups, electoral process)

COMMUNITY MAPPING exercise

to engage Latin American

community in the Northwest area of

Toronto about Income and

Employment issues.

Outreach and Research

MATERIALS to the community

mapping

PRE-ELECTION FORUM with some

MPP candidates The forum was

broadcasted live on CHHA 1610 AM

“Radio Voces Latinas”.

2012

UNLOCKING OUR CIVIC POWER: learning-action

process, to promote greater involvement of LA community in the civic life of On/

TO.

PHASE I: 3 series/ 3 workshops to 60 LA

community members across

the GTA (45 W/ 15M) on the Canadian

Government: Structures, Systems

and Decision Making.

COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLES: 1)Education and

youth, 2)Employment and income, 3) Health:

4)Civic Participation:

PHASE II: 8W and 4M developed an action-project to

promote local change: Political

education process to 20 LAWE >

18ywork or live in the North West area

of Toronto.

Key insights from our experience

• Analyzing data, reading reports on immigration trends, or

poverty issues. Also examining narratives and social perceptions

on how our community is perceived (stereotypes, bias).

• Identifying structural barriers has moved us to a more systemic

analysis instead of individualists approach.

• Understanding and explaining social inequality realities is not

enough. Goal: changing it through civic actions: ex. proposing

public recommendations, participating in public debates.

• Educational processes: Emphasis is placed on “learning by

doing”.

• Actions: low cost to the community, accessible, relevant to their

lives, teach something, and that are winnable!.

From critical reflection To action for change

• Recognizing, valuing and making foundational the knowledge of

community members. Eager to contribute and many have a

clear political consciousness as well as specific concerns and

proposals. However, they often struggle to assert their voice,

lacking the necessary knowledge of Canadian laws and socio-

political structures, or the necessary connections in the halls of

power.

• Knowledge is not only information or data to memorize. It

means to develop our ability to think critically, read, write and

speak!

• Providing trainings and collective spaces in which we not only

share a set of skills to build capacity among community

members, but also trainings in which we analyze collectively the

historical development of social or political structures, and. Ex.

decision-making process

Lack of “knowledge” To awareness

• Outreaching community members that share some situation

or are more affected by some specific issue. Ex. Community

mapping we reach general labour workers

• Creating ‘safe spaces” were community members break the

isolation / re-encounter with dreams and expectations / re-

value assets

• Trough reflecting and acting collectively, we all (community

members and organizations) have learned the political

nature of some policies and that we are not ALONE facing

social and systemic issues. “My” concerns, priorities and

needs are shared by “others”, by “many others”

• For organizations: learning process of building trust,

respect and tolerance and how to cooperate with one

another.

From the individual To the collective

Challenges:

• There is not such as one, homogeneous, living in close proximity

LATIN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY. It is formed by women and men

from 18 different countries, cultures, classes and socio-political

backgrounds vs. but we share, we come together around our

immigration experience.

• Participation vs. pressing priorities of meeting the daily needs

(lack of financial resources to make activities more accessible:

offer daycare) Option: evening/ weekend trainings.

• Diverse experiences with social and political institutions in their

own countries vs. Canadian political institutions and power

relations. Meaningful political participation.

• Poverty-related issues in Canada vs. abject poverty or other

social issues of many of the places from which immigrants arrive

• Reflecting and analyzing in Spanish vs. Providing English/

Spanish materials

Thanks!

Appendixes

Brochures, Flyers

• To know issues of our community

• To know Canadian political system

Workshop Our

community in Canada

(80 participants!)

• To plan

actions

• To prepare questions to the mayoral debate

Workshop Working

together for our

community

(80 participants!)

• Training Leaders to the future

• CHC/Maytree

Civic Education

school (80 participants!)

• In the second workshop community prepared questions

Mayoral Debate

(150-200 participants!)

September 18 September 25 October 2 October 6

Popular education process 2010

Provide a three-session training on Civic Literacy to 20 staff from participating organizations of the Campaign

March 31st , April 14th, and April 28th from 9:30am -3:00 pm

Provide a three-session training on Civic Literacy to 20 clients/beneficiaries/leaders/volunteers from participating organizations of the Campaign

May 12th, 19th, and 26th from 9:30 am-3:00 pm

Provide a three-session training on Civic Literacy to 20 promising leaders of the Latin America community across the GTA

June 16th, 23rd and 30th from 9:00 am-3:00 pm

Provide a training to 20 participants from the above groups on collaborative work with local government carrying out a concrete action/project identified by the participants.

September / October 2012

Unlocking our Civic power